Against Me is an anomaly in my musical taste, but they have still become my favorite band of recent years. They aren't the norm not only in time and place, and stand out more these days simply because I've found it hard to really latch onto bands for the last 6 or 8 years. Not because new bands aren't "good," whatever that means, but simply because I don't relate. They don't speak to me like Against Me! does... in universal themes, with humor, but with a sense of importance in their message. Much like the Clash, they sing about politics, personal and governmental, they sing about social issues, they have a lot of fun, a great live show, and they write damn catchy songs.
These photos were taken one night in late 2005 -- we went down to San Diego to catch the band at a pretty small venue out in MiraMesa, caught the sound check, and loved the show -- it was one of the best times I've seen them. The L.A. and Orange County shows just have such a different scenester feel to them that the SD show felt much rawer. Super fun.
